In 2025, search engines, blog posts, and AI are still pushing the same classic adages about booking cheap international flight tickets.
However, over the last few years I observe that the game has changed significantly. The old methods of getting a cheap flight have been ‘patched’ by companies, so to speak.
This article contains my advice based on booking a number of long international flights in the last few weeks, saving myself over $1,000 NZD. For instance, my itinerary from Beijing to Colombia was due to cost ~$1,900 NZD for the cheapest ticket. However, I was able to get a combination of flights for only ~$1,200 NZD. That is just one leg of the journey, on which I was able to save approximately $700 NZD.
Outdated myths of flight booking
Before we explore the new method, it is let me explain why traditional advice is failing modern travellers. Airline pricing models have evolved and strategies that once offered savings are now largely ineffective.
Myth 1: Booking far in advance guarantees a cheaper price
It used to be the case that booking a flight months ahead of time secured you a lower fare. The logic was that an airline’s cheaper-priced seats had not yet sold out. In the modern era of AI and dynamic pricing algorithms, this is rarely true. Airlines possess years of data, allowing them to precisely optimise their profits.
Consider a flight for Christmas, which is largely regarded as one of the most expensive times to travel. In my experience, if you book this flight 12 months out, the cost stays relatively static throughout the year, only increasing about one month before the departure date. Airlines know they will be able to sell those seats at an inflated cost later on, so they have no incentive to offer an early-bird discount. The benefit of booking early has vanished.
Myth 2: Standard flight aggregators show you the best deals
Websites such as Kayak and Expedia are useful tools but they do not always present the best deal. These aggregators are designed for convenience and will often present a range of more expensive, direct, or simple options than the method described in this article. While they have benefits that will be discussed later, relying on them solely will likely mean you are overpaying.
Myth 3: Midweek flights offer significant savings
The advice to fly on a Tuesday or Wednesday to save money may hold some truth for domestic flights, but for long-haul international travel, the savings are rarely considerable. The day of the week has become a less significant factor in the complex equation of international flight pricing. You might save a small amount, but it is not the game-changing tactic it once was.
Myth 4: Incognito mode and VPNs are secret weapons
A common myth is that using your browser’s incognito mode to clear cookies or using a VPN to access a website from another country could unlock lower fares. Airlines and booking sites can often detect these methods, and more importantly, most major airlines no longer price discriminate so heavily based on the customer’s location.
Prerequisites for the new approach
To successfully book cheap flights using this method, a few requirements must be met. This strategy prioritises cost savings over convenience.
1. Time to research
Finding the cheapest flights is not a straightforward process. It requires looking at a multitude of different combinations, dates, and airports. This is not a five-minute search; it is an investigative process.
2. Degree of flexibility
This flexibility extends beyond your travel dates. You may need to be flexible about the length and location of your stopovers. For example, when travelling from China to South America, a saving of $700 NZD can be achieved by taking a one or two night stopover in South Korea. This kind of itinerary would never be recommended by a standard flight aggregator because most people are unwilling to make such a stop.
3. You will need a risk-seeking appetite
These flight options are not the most comfortable, direct, or convenient. Booking closer to your travel date may be advantageous, which introduces uncertainty. This approach is less compatible with comfort and more compatible with risk seeking.
For these reasons, I do not propose this guide would apply to large groups or families who cannot easily exploit this kind of travel uncertainty.
The optimal strategy for booking cheap flights in 2025
With the old myths debunked and the requirements understood, here is the optimal strategy for finding genuinely cheap international flights.
Step 1: Search for one-way flights only
Your research must begin with one-way flights. This gives you a much clearer view of the cost of each individual leg and does not prejudice you towards using a single airline for your entire journey. Use Google Flights to conduct your research.
Step 2: Search from your destination to a nearby hub
This is the most critical and counterintuitive part of the strategy. Instead of searching from your origin to your final destination, search for flights from your destination to a major travel hub near your starting point.
For my trip, instead of searching for flights from Beijing to Colombia, I searched for flights from South Korea to Colombia. This is how I found a special deal.
This strategy therefore involves booking separate tickets, which is a key risk. If a delay on your first flight causes you to miss your second, you may not be covered by your airline or insurance because the journey is not on a single ticket. You must be aware of this risk.
You should aim to test at least 20 different combinations of airports and dates using Google Flights to uncover these pricing patterns.
Step 3: Recognise that flight pricing is not always sensible
Airline pricing does not follow simple logic. For example, it would have cost me more to fly from South Korea to Mexico City than it did to fly from South Korea to Colombia on a route that stopped in Mexico City. The longer flight, on the same airline, was cheaper than the shorter segment of that exact same flight.
It is important to recognise that flight pricing is not based purely on distance. It is a factor of competition dynamics, route popularity, and sometimes, introductory offers. You can take advantage of these intentional pricing discrepancies by being flexible and thorough in your research.
An alternative for the time-poor traveller
If you do not have the hours to dedicate to this kind of research, there is an alternative. Some flight aggregators are more aggressive than others. While most present convenient options, a site I have found to be unique is LetsFly.co.uk. Despite its UK branding, it can be used for travel all over the world.
This website allows you to select the number of stopovers you are willing to tolerate. By adding more stopovers, you can drastically reduce the cost of your flights. For a ticket originally priced at $2,200 NZD, I found I could save $1,000 NZD simply by adding a couple of stopovers. This is more of a game for young, resilient travellers rather than families, but it demonstrates the scale of savings available to those willing to sacrifice convenience.
If you’ve found this useful or have your own tricks, leave a comment below. Was it worth the effort?
Safe travels.
Timbo
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